Pay what you want
A design studio named 8K has launched a “pay what you want” campaign with the intention of stirring up controversy to gain media attention and possibly add a few new clients to their roster. The average payment for 23 projects that included logos, slogans, sales sheets and business cards was $74. As you might imagine, the criticism from designers and agencies has been harsh. Many feel that this PR stunt did more harm than good, not just for 8K but for the branding and design industry as a whole.
No respect
It’s true that graphic design is not often considered a high-value service. This is due in a large part to the advent of personal computers when everyone was given the power to create their own graphic design and as a result, the industry suffered a steep decline in respect. A company might ask “Why would we pay a design studio thousands of dollars for a logo when anyone with basic knowledge of the software can come up with one for little to no money?” Designers have been struggling to educate our clients and the marketplace about the value of our services ever since. The last thing we needed was a campaign to devalue what we do even further.
You get what you pay for
So, why should anyone pay more than an average of $74 for design when there are so many designers willing to work for practically nothing? Why not crowd source a logo and pick one from hundreds of options? Well, that depends on what you want. If you are willing to settle for low-quality work provided by students and amateurs, you don’t care about your brand, your customer, your marketing, etc. and you are just looking for something cheap, then jump into the crowd and hope that you get lucky. If you do care and you want professional quality results, it’s worth the higher price-point to work with an agency or designer with years of training and experience who consistently produces fresh, creative, award-winning work year after year.
How can a professional make a difference?
• A Logo Does Not a Brand Make:
A professional will create a strategy to effectively tell your brand story, with an identity and tagline that is uniquely your own. All other marketing components from website to advertising will be designed to work together cohesively as an extension of your brand. This approach translates to brand recognition and the ability to effectively convert potential customers into loyal customers.
• Just Because You Like It Doesn’t Mean It’s the Right Choice:
The crowd will throw everything at you and it will be up to you to figure out what will work. A pro has years of experience and specific expertise to ensure that all the design options and ideas they show you will actually work for your company and will create a successful and effective solution.
• Can You Put It on a Billboard or a Hat?
A pro knows how to technically build a digital design that will be easily scalable and translated across multiple platforms, from silkscreen to embroidery, print to websites, and always be legible, with correct colors, and crisp resolution.
• The Crowd Will Never Know You:
A studio or designer should be your strategic creative partner and an asset to your business. With each step in the process of working together, you build more trust and a deeper level of understanding that is brought forward into each new project. Trust gives you freedom to spend your time doing what you do best instead of micromanaging and second-guessing, and gives your agency the room to create their best work for you. It’s a win-win.